Welcome to My Masquerade
by JazzGirl123
Summary: People have changed and grown up over the years, though not all for the better. Saaya's throwing a party and has even invited her mortal enemy, but what are her true intentions? Meanwhile, deciding to end senior year with at least one party, Amu agrees to go even in the risky outfit. Will she regret her decision? Rated for language and certain situations. Amuto and others.


…

"…and naturally, it's going to be the most fantastic party in the history of parties," boasted Yamabuki Saaya, senior at Seiyo High School, as she flipped her auburn colored curls in the direction of her rival since elementary school.

Hinamori Amu, the pink haired Cool n' Spicy idol that every single person in school knew about, didn't bother looking up as she continued to stared boredly out the classroom window. This only pissed Saaya off more; not even Amu's friends, such as Fujisaki Nagihiko and Mashiro Rima, were paying any attention to her.

She knew that if Hotori Tadase was in the same class as them, he might listen to her, but it was more likely he would go and ask Amu out…again. Honestly, even Saaya found it sickening for the princely character to ask her out every day when she had been rejecting him since middle school.

If Souma Kukai was in the same class, which was impossible since he had graduated the previous year, he probably would be over in that same corner as Amu and ruffling her hair affectionately. And she would probably either ignore him or elbow him in the gut, telling him to quit it. It confused Saaya as to why the pink haired girl would reject two of the hottest guys the school, even though it was obvious they both wanted her.

It wasn't even that Tadase and Kukai liked her so much that pissed Saaya off. It was the fact that they liked her and she didn't even do anything to attract their attention. All she did was sit in that damned corner of the room, looking as if she didn't give a fuck about the world.

Maybe that was why Saaya finally snapped, after five years of being compared to the Cool n' Spicy idol.

She didn't show her cracked armor, of course, as she sauntered over to that corner and slapped down an invitation to her party on Amu's desk.

"Since I know you have no plans this weekend, and even I am not as heartless as to decline a fellow classmate an invitation to the greatest party in the world, I will give you this," announced Saaya loudly, creating a show as always. She even gave one to the blonde midget and the feminine looking male (while she would never admit it due to her infatuation, Nagi was still manlier looking than Tadase). "My Halloween parties have to be a costume-only of course, so don't show up and look like a fool."

Nagi smiled and thanked her politely, Rima simply glared at her, while Amu picked up the invitation with two fingers as it was contaminated. "Whatever," she stated, flicking it into her bag like it was another piece of unneeded scratch paper.

Saaya wanted to do nothing more than to grab it back and screech that she couldn't come after all, but she simply smirked. "It starts at seven…don't make me regret inviting you, Hinamori Amu." She walked away, leaving behind her puzzled fan club.

A moment later, they were shaken out of their stunned forms and chased her into the hallway as they bombarded her with questions as to why she was inviting her mortal enemy to her own party.

Saaya looked down on them, silently asking if they were all idiots. "Everybody in school will be there if they think she'll show up, right?" Her fan club nodded slowly as a malicious grin formed on her features. "What better way to humiliate her and utterly destroy her reputation?"

"What about her bodyguards?" One of her club members asked bravely, risking her health as she referred to Fujisaki and Mashiro. "They would never leave her alone at such an event, especially considering they're more wary around you than Hinamori herself is."

"That is true," chimed in another member, nodding. "Plus, Tadase-kun will be there as well, won't he? He would take advantage of the opportunity to confess to her again."

Saaya merely laughed, flipping her hair again. "Oh, don't worry your empty little heads. I'll take care of everything." She continued to laugh as she walked down the hallway, leaving behind her worried fan club. It was different than it was in elementary school. Back then, she hadn't been a threat to Amu but now that they were in high school where emotions were known to rule a person…who knew what the jealous heiress would do?

Meanwhile, back in the classroom, the three former Guardians were discussing whether or not to go to the party on Saturday. Since it was already Friday evening, they didn't have much time to decide.

"Plus, we need to buy costumes," pointed out Amu, who really didn't care. She reached into her hair and pulled out the pin, allowing her gorgeous pink locks to fall down to her mid waist. She shook her head slightly so that she could adjust it, combing her hair with her fingers gently.

"It would be rude to stand her up, even if we don't like her," said Nagi, who was usually the angelic conscious for Amu. Unlike Rima, who more or less had the devil influence.

"It's a party," stated Rima emotionlessly, looking at her best friend. The pinkette had lost some of her former shine over the years. While she was still positive and pure hearted, she wasn't the shy and oblivious girl from fifth grade…though she did have her moments. "You haven't been to a single party since middle school, and that was only because it was Yaya's pool party. You need to get out more. We're seniors now so go do something wild for once." Seeing the pinkette hesitate, Rima added, "And if you don't, I'll get Utau to pick out your costume."

Amu glared at the blonde, knowing very well that the older girl would definitely encourage her to go and pick out the skimpiest outfit she could find. And because she was a Tsukiyomi, she would definitely get the last word and not let Amu go in anything else.

"Alright, alright," replied Amu, giving in, as she stood and packed her things. It was the end of the school day anyways. "I'll go; just don't bring Utau into this mess. She's busy with her tour anyways."

"Yes, although that hasn't stopped her from coming down every few weeks to have that ramen challenge with Kukai," remarked Nagi, looking amused as the three friends walked outside of the building.

Amu rolled her eyes. "Everybody knows those two are dating; why don't they just admit it?"

"Why don't you just admit that you miss Ikuto?" Rima asked, watching as her friend's eyes clouded over with mixed emotions.

"Because I don't miss him," was her usual reply. They approached the crossing where they separated. "I'll see you guys tomorrow to go shopping." She crossed the road before they could say anything else to her.

Nagi gave the blonde an exasperated look as they walked down the same path, due to the fact they lived across the street from each other. When Rima's parents divorced back in sixth grade, she went to live with her mother and they moved into a new house on a street where the Fujisaki family lived. It pissed off the gag-loving girl to no end, even though she was secretly pleased to have a friend so close by.

"Why do you bring him up?" The former Jack asked. "You know how she gets whenever he's brought up."

Rima inhaled deeply. "Because she won't admit that she misses him. She says she's doing just fine without him, but look at her, Nagihiko…Amu's become an empty shell of her former self. Yes, she's discovered who she is and is more confident but…her eyes are empty of emotion. She doesn't talk to anybody other than us and the other Guardians, and she hasn't been on a date…since forever." She looked up at him, cursing the fact that she was shorter than average and that he was taller than average. "I know that there's nothing wrong with not dating, but have you ever looked at her when she rejected somebody? Her eyes are filled with sadness, as if she wishes it's somebody else confessing to her. I catch her, sometimes, looking at couples in the hallway with a longing expression. She won't admit it because she does miss him, and love him, but she doesn't want to hurt herself since she stupidly believes Ikuto moved on."

"Well, it has been nearly six years since he last came," said Nagi, watching the petite blonde carefully. He always knew that one day she would explode from watching their best friend suffer, as he had also noticed these things about the pinkette, but he didn't expect her to be this calm. "We both know that Ikuto would rather die than be with any other girl, but we also know that he is the kind of person to sacrifice his own happiness for somebody else to get their happy ending…which makes him perfect for Amu, since she's doing the exact same thing."

"It pisses me off," growled Rima as they approached their street. A perk to her parents getting divorced was that both of them relaxed a lot more and became more easygoing so that her mother was alright with allowing her daughter to walk home alone, especially since their house was a lot closer to the school than their old one. "She's so damn stubborn, that girl!"

Nagi chuckled as they stopped in front of her house, the lights off to indicate that her mother had gone out. "She is," he agreed. "But that's why we love her."

The blonde stiffened slightly at the 'L' word. She would never, ever admit it but she had secretly developed a crush on the purple haired male. How could she not? He was one of the few people who saw right through her, and the only guy who wasn't terrified by her icy persona. In fact, it amused him. This naturally pissed the little blonde off, and she ended up taking her anger out on him most of the time. Of course, he never seemed to mind which only made her angrier.

"Ah, so you _do_ love her," said Rima quietly, staring at her house. She noted that the yard needed to be mowed, not by her of course, as it was getting rather wild looking.

"I do love her," admitted Nagi, and her heart clenched. "Though as a friend, and nothing more. Maybe in elementary school, I would have said something else…but I found myself attracted to somebody else." Just when her heart rate calmed down, he said something like that and she bit her lip hard to stop herself from crying in front of him. "Ah, well, it's getting late. We have to meet Amu tomorrow pretty early so we can buy our costumes, right? And I'm sure you two will need some time to get ready and whatnot." He smiled brightly at her. "Good night, Rima-chan."

"Yeah," agreed the blonde. "See you tomorrow…stupid cross dresser."

The two former Guardians parted ways, one of them wondering if the love goddess had cursed her to have the same terrible love life as Amu.

…

"It's way too damn early to go shopping," was the first thing Amu said when her friends met her at the mall. They didn't look any happier, not being morning people, but they knew it would take some time to buy the right costume.

"Cheer up, Amu-chan," said Nagi, passing both girls in fashion easily even though he hadn't even tried that morning. That instantly put both girls in a bad mood. "At least you can relax later on at the party."

The pinkette sighed. "I guess…" Her mind was still obviously on the blue haired violinist.

Rima felt guilty about brining him up so she grabbed her best friend by the wrist and pulled her towards her. "Come on, Amu; we have to do our shopping separately from icky cross dressing boys."

"Icky?" Nagi repeated, looking extremely amused. "How old are you exactly, Rima?"

"Cross dressing?" Amu asked at the same time. "Are you still not over that?" She had finally learned about Nagi being Nadeshiko in the beginning of her freshman year. Needless to say, she avoided the former Queen for a week.

The blonde ignored them both, dragging the former Joker to the nearest costume shop in a slightly more civil way than Kukai's method. Nagi was left in the dust, up until he spotted Tadase and Kukai a few minutes later. He quickly led them to a different shop, hoping to avoid pissing off the little comedian.

"None of these costumes look like me, Rima," said Amu, eyeing the skimpy clothing on the racks. She was pretty sure the blonde had dragged her into a sex shop, looking at the shady business a second time. She even voiced her opinion, earning a giggle from her friend.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," dismissed Rima, waving her hand as she held up a costume to her small body. "At least you have curves to show off; I still have the form of a child."

"Nagi doesn't seem to mind," snorted Amu as she examined a genie outfit, which was ironically one of the less revealing outfits there. She smirked when the little blonde froze.

"W-why the hell would I care about his opinion?" She retorted.

"Uh, because you're hopelessly in love with him?" Amu replied, blushing slightly at the sight of a dominatrix outfit. "Hey, are you absolutely sure we're not in a sex shop? I mean, look at this stuff! And in case you haven't noticed, there aren't any little kids here!"

"Well, most of them buy their costumes as soon as it turns October," stated Rima, relieved to have the subject off of her. "So most of them are usually spending their time planning on how to get the most candy before they crash."

"That's true," murmured the pinkette, thinking of how her own eight year old sister was threatening the boys next door not to get more candy than her…again, for the third year in a row.. "Hey, if you really want to impress Nagi, why don't you go as this?" She held up a sexy take on a traditional Japanese dancer costume, complete with a shortened kimono that was meant to tighten around the body so curves could be shown off. "I'm sure he would appreciate that."

Rima colored as her friend laughed, putting the outfit back, but smirked at the arrogant pinkette. "Okay, I'll wear it…but only if you wear either that costume…" She pointed at a sexy pink cheerleader outfit, which reminded them both of Ran, "or that one." She then pointed at a saucy looking kitty outfit. "It'll make an impression, don't you think?"

Twelve year old Amu would have blushed brightly and just gone with the most innocent costume in the children's department, running out of the store before she took more than two steps in. Seventeen year old Amu merely smirked and placed her hands on her hips, leaning down to stare her best friend dead in the eyes.

"Meow," she stated, grabbing the kitty outfit and walking over to the cash register. Her best friend blinked once before she smirked as well, keeping her promise as she grabbed the dancer costume. Neither of them commented on how Amu had picked the cat, which would remind everybody of Ikuto, over the cheerleader, which would remind everyone (especially Tadase) of Amulet Heart.

The two girls walked out of the store, their costumes hidden inside their black plastic bag, and saw that it was nearly four and that the rest of their friends were chatting in the food court. They exchanged looks; had they really spent that much time in the costume/sex shop?

Yaya spotted them first, pausing in her conversation with her Kairi-koi to wave at them with a wide grin. "Hey guys," she greeted, having lost interest in her baby personality even though she still remained the childish one in the group. "Ooh, did you go costume shopping for Saaya's party tonight?"

"You're going?" Rima asked in surprise as they sat down. "I thought you had to babysit your brother tonight."

"Yeah, Mama got somebody else to do it since I never go out," replied the former Ace, rolling her eyes. "Too busy being the big sister to do anything else in my life, and all."

"So what costumes did you get?" Kairi asked curiously, pushing up his glasses. The girls all glared at him, and he sweat-dropped. "I suppose it's a surprise?"

"Of course it is," snapped Yaya, glaring at her boyfriend. The poor sophomore chose to wisely stay silent, poking at his veggie burger.

"Well, unlike you weird girls, I have no problem in telling people what my costume is," said Kukai, hands behind his neck as he leaned back in his chair. "I picked this wicked vampire costume. It comes with fake blood and everything!" Apparently, he planned on making an appearance even though he was a freshman in college.

Amu couldn't help but think how his costume would somehow match Utau's half angel, half devil costume. Of course she would show up, even if she had already graduated and even if she hadn't gone to the same school. A party was a party, and who would deny an international popstar her right to party?

"Ah, well my costume _would _have been traditional samurai attire," started Kairi, sounding slightly annoyed.

"But I managed to convince him to show up as a knight instead," finished Yaya, winking mischievously.

"Oh, are you a princess?" Tadase asked, only to earn a smirk from the former Ace. He smiled nervously, running a hand over his face. "Well, ah, I am appearing as a king…"

"No surprise there," muttered the girls, exchanging looks while the guys looked amused at the blond haired boy.

"What about you, Nagi?" Kukai asked, reaching for the fries on Yaya's plate. Without looking at him, she slapped his hand away and held her plate out of his reach. "Okay, ow!"

The purple haired male chuckled at his friend. "I'm going as a ring leader."

"A…a ring leader?" Amu repeated, surprised by her friend's decision. She honestly expected him to be a clown for Rima's sake, or something to represent his Charas.

"Yeah," replied Nagi, smiling awkwardly. "I decided to be something different from what I would normally pick. Besides, it's our last Halloween party as students. After we graduate, even in college, we'll be considered adults."

"That's true," agreed Tadase as he glanced at his watch. "Look at how the time flies by when you're having fun. It's already six thirty." The girls exchanged looks before they hightailed it out of there. For some reason, their gender typically took ages to get ready.

Not that their gender opposite companions would ever voice that, due to the fact that they enjoyed living.

…

And being girls, they wanted to arrive fashionably late, so they decided on not appearing at Saaya's admiring mansion until eight thirty.

Utau had met them at the pinkette's house, where she had endlessly teased the host for her choice in costume before complimenting the others. They returned the favor, noting how her half angel, half devil costume reminded them of Il and El. They also noted how all of their outfits clung to their bodies, showing off their sex appeal.

Amu was glad she didn't go as a cheerleader, or else Yaya would have most likely thrown a fit for 'copying' her. Rima, of course, went as the sexy dancer and Amu somehow squeezed into the cat costume that clung to her body for dear life. She couldn't even wear a bra since it was so tight around her 36Ds, but was thankful for the padding inside the costume.

And yet, even as they approached the house, she still had to fight the urge to run back home and change into something more innocent. While she had been confident and alluring at the store, she was still shy and insecure at times…such as now.

"Stop fidgeting," hissed Utau as they entered the house since it was unlocked, taking some punch and handing her a cup. Yaya disappeared into the crowd, most likely to find her boyfriend, while Rima chose to stay with them. She kept looking around cautiously, hoping to spot Nagi before he spotted her. "You look damn sexy, and you fucking know it. Stop trying to hide your body; you always do in your oversized clothes and nothing is shown in uniforms, unlike what animes suggest."

"You're still pissed about being suspended for that?" Amu asked, raising an eyebrow as she sipped of her punch. To her relief, it wasn't spiked.

The blonde actually growled. "Of course! It's not like it was a school day anyways so they can't get me in trouble for it."

Rima stopped in her searching to look up at the other blonde. "Something tells me that out of everyone gawking there, Kukai would have appreciated it the most." Utau turned a brilliant shade of red, sipping her punch as she looked around the area.

"Shut up midget," she muttered as her amethyst orbs suddenly lit up and she smirked. "Oh, look; it's the guys." Rima turned around and made an odd sound before disappearing into the crowd, obviously hoping to avoid being seen by Nagi.

Said boy raised an eyebrow, having noticed the head of blonde dash off but missed seeing her actual costume, as they approached the girls. Yaya had her arm connected with Kairi's, giggling as he lifted his helmet. Tadase greeted them, though his cheeks were red as he glanced over at them. Kukai was naturally the one to whistle loudly at them, grinning wolfishly.

"Don't you two look hot," he exclaimed, moving his arm so he flipped his cape dramatically. "I bet you that half of the guys here end up with nosebleeds. Also, don't trust any guy who tries to hit on you, especially if they're drunk." That last part was said with a rather serious expression. "Saaya managed to get a hell lot of alcohol in here."

Utau rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Souma; you probably can't even hold down your liquor."

"I can too," retorted the brunette. "The question is…can you?" The glaring match began as they ran off.

"I am so not driving them home," stated Amu immediately, looking over at Kairi and Yaya (who were the least likely to get drunk, and not just because they were the youngest). "You two are supposed to be our designated drivers; don't forget that."

Yaya sighed dramatically. "Oh, alright, but it's not as if _you're _going to drink a whole lot either…" Her eyes became glazed as she spotted the caramel apples and other traditional Halloween sweets. "Ooh, candy; come on, Kairi!" She grabbed her boyfriend by the arm and dragged him across the room, leaving Nagi and Amu alone.

"Well, that was expected," remarked Nagi, who had given up searching for the blonde. If she wanted to be found, she would show up. "I'm pretty sure she'll be drunk on candy by the end of the night."

"Probably," agreed the pinkette, chuckling. "You know, Rima's going to try her hardest to avoid you tonight." She looked at her best friend seriously. "You should just confess to her, you know. You're going to drive her insane if you don't."

Nagi looked surprised. "What? I thought she hated me."

"Oh, Nagi, I'm supposed to be the clueless one," remarked Amu, sipping her punch as she began to walk away. "Go; she's probably outside or something. I'll meet you guys later, but I really don't want to find you in one of the rooms…although I know you're not that kind of guy." She smiled at him before she disappeared into the crowd.

Suddenly, Saaya appeared at her side, wearing a revealing gypsy costume. "Ah, so you decided to come Hinamori; isn't my place just grand?"

Her mask snapped on by instinct. "I suppose."

The cold response didn't deter the brunette's spirit. "Oh, you have to check out the upstairs party," suggested Saaya, attempting to look as innocent as possible. "It's absolutely fantastic and all the cool kids are there."

Now, even though everybody in school knew Saaya would do anything to ruin Amu's reputation that easily surpassed her own, Amu still believed she was a good person so naturally wasn't worried.

"Whatever," she replied, looking bored as she let the jealous heiress drag her up the spiral staircase and into one of the bedrooms. She raised an eyebrow when she saw it was empty. "What are you do…"

"Have fun, Hinamori Amu, as I, Yamabuki Saaya, finally defeat you," exclaimed the other girl, pushing the pinkette into the room so that she fell to the ground. She let a loud laugh, which was drowned by the thundering music, before slamming the door on her.

Amu leaped up and rattled the doorknob, only to find it locked from the outside. She would normally just call one of her friends, but there were no pockets on her mortifying costume and Utau threatened to put her head on a platter if she brought a purse or a bag of some kind. And putting anything in her bra was way out of the question.

Her friends would normally go looking for her, but they would all be occupied. Even Tadase would be too busy being surrounded by his fangirls to have time to look for her.

"Ah, dammit," exclaimed Amu, looking around the room. It was quite average, minus the king sized bed with the silky black sheets and black veil curtains that were quite transparent. Then she noted how there were several rose petals on the bed and scented candles around the room, creating a romantic aura. "What the f…" She was cut off by the smell of alcohol and a hand over her mouth, hot breathing on her neck.

"Ah, at long last, I finally get to be with the sexy idol of Seiyo," murmured the stranger, his other hand holding her wrists so she couldn't hit him. Not that she would have, as the pinkette was paralyzed.

It wasn't until she realized she was lying on the bed with a strange man hovering over her quivering body did she begin to scream, kicking and flailing her arms wildly to try and knock the drunken man out. He growled, obviously not amused, and pinned her wrists above her head with his right hand while his left slowly ran over her body.

It was a situation the pinkette had feared ever since she was younger, when she had learned her cousin had been raped and killed. Maybe that was why she was so freaked out about Ikuto's perverted teasing; she was simply terrified.

"Let me go," shrieked Amu, praying that somebody heard even though she knew her pleads were drowned out by the partiers and the loud music. She began to sob as he touched her body. Oh, where was her hero? Wasn't he always there to save her? No, he wasn't because he was somewhere looking for his dad and playing in stupid orchestras because that's what he did. "Somebody, help me! Please, stop it!"

"No one can hear you, darling," sneered the drunken man. She didn't even recognize him, but he looked the same age as she did so she assumed he was a high schooler as well. "I have been looking forward to this for years…it's just you and me, tonight sweetheart. Remind me to thank Saaya for setting this up."

Amu didn't care about her reputation or her mask, or whether or not Utau and Rima were going to kill Saaya; she just wanted out. "No, stop; I'm begging you! LET GO!" She sobbed and closed her eyes tightly, half screaming when he began to kiss her neck. "Quit it, STOP!"

Suddenly, the guy was ripped off of her body and a cracking sound was heard followed by a loud thud.

"Don't you dare touch her."

Amu gasped, opening her eyes to see a figure standing over the unconscious man. She really hoped she wasn't dreaming. "I-Ikuto?!"

The midnight blue haired violinist glanced over at her, his eyes softening slightly before his expression darkened. "What are you doing, wearing something like that to a party like this?" He sounded furious.

The pinkette looked down at herself in shame and blushed brightly, something nobody else could make her do to such a degree. "Well, uh…you know…I thought I would try something new…obviously it backfired…" It was then that the situation hit home and she clammed up, paling as she realized what could have happened. Tears began to fall down her cheeks once more and she began to shake. Ikuto was by her side in a flash, picking up her petite frame and holding her in his lap like she was a fragile doll.

"Shh, it's okay Amu," he whispered, letting her cry into his chest. Oh, how she missed him…his hair, his eyes, his voice, his teasing, his perverted attitude…everything. She missed his everything. "It's okay, Amu…he's good as dead…just wait until Utau finds out about this."

"What…what are you doing here?" The pinkette managed to get out after a few minutes.

"Well, my mom kept pleading for me to come back into town to visit and since the orchestra was on break…"

"No," interrupted Amu, pulling away so she could glare at him through her teary golden eyes. "I mean, what are you doing _here _at this party?"

"My mom said Utau went out and I figured she wouldn't go trick-or-treating or go to any other party that wasn't the hugest one," replied Ikuto. "I didn't want to be spotted since I'm not wearing a costume, so I came in using the balcony in the room next door. You're lucky I still have my good hearing or else I wouldn't have been able to save you." His furious expression was back, but she wouldn't have it.

"Oh no," she cut him off before he could even start. "Don't you dare lecture me when I have every right to kick you in the balls for being gone so long! Where the _fuck _have you been? You haven't written me or called me at all, other than that one time when I thought Tadase liked another girl! Do you know what hell I've been through because of you?! No, no you fucking don't because you've been gone for six damn years! You dumb, perverted cat! Why did I waste all this time missing you, loving you, when you've probably been with dozens of other girls and been lying about that stupid crush on me. You no good, annoying as hell, little…"

Amu was cut off by the twenty one year old pressing his mouth against hers, his hands gently cupping her face. She tensed up before relaxing, sighing in content as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Finally, they broke away to breathe.

"Damn it, Ikuto," she murmured, their foreheads pressed together. "Why is it you always do this to me? Can't you just let me be?"

"Nope," was his quiet reply, still holding her close. "I'm sorry I left you Amu…I thought you'd move on and forget about me."

"As if you would let me," snorted the pinkette, rolling her eyes. He smirked and they kissed again, starting to get into the groove, when the unconscious would-be rapist moaned. Amu pulled away and glared at the useless lump. "Remind me to kill Saaya; I can't believe she would pull something like this, especially when she knows Rima will throw a fit when she finds out…" Her eyes widened. "Oh shit, I forgot about them!"

Ikuto chuckled as he watched his girlfriend scramble to her feet. His grin disappeared when his eyes landed on the lump on the floor, a dark expression on his face, while Amu began to shake again. She had only taken a few steps from him, but she already felt terrified without her savior to protect him. This made Ikuto proud and furious at the same time.

He purposely stepped on the would-be rapist as he grabbed her by the hand, storming out into the corridor and glaring down at the party from the banister. He took his free hand and placed it in his mouth, whistling loudly and shrilly. Somehow, if it was anyone less hot than he was, they would have been ignored but even the music stopped as everybody looked up at him.

Amu spotted her friends near the center, and they looked at her with both surprise and relief; apparently, they had been looking for her. She tried to smile, but it didn't work as their eyes all widened. They knew something was up, and if they didn't, Ikuto's furious expression gave it away.

"I don't know who was in that room or who's hosting this party," he growled quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "My girlfriend was set up and nearly raped in that bedroom behind me, the would-be rapist now unconscious with a black eye, and I will find him later on and personally give him hell. Whoever this Saaya girl is better watch her fucking back, because while I'm against hitting girls, my sister and her friends are not."

Utau had a demonic aura around her as she pushed people aside, running up the stairs to join her brother. Rima and the others were right behind her.

"That's right; whoever tried to pull this shit will pay, you get that?" Utau growled as the former Guardians asked if Amu was alright. When nobody moved, she gripped the banister and looked down at all of them with fire in her eyes. "I said, YOU GET THAT?" Everybody nodded quickly, terrified by the normally angelic singer's aura. She looked at them in disgust, her eyes locking onto the pale form of Yamabuki Saaya. She and Kukai exchanged looks, nodding as they snuck away. _Nobody _messed with their little sister.

"Come on, Amu," said Ikuto, gripping the pinkette's hand tightly. "Let's go home." She nodded and he glanced at the other Guardians. "You coming?" They were her friends, after all.

Rima and Nagi exchanged looks. They were closest with Amu so the pinkette would need their comfort the most. They nodded and followed the couple down the stairs. They were grateful nobody commented on how they were holding hands. Rima gave a nasty look to Saaya, who squeaked and disappeared into the crowd, and Nagi simply looked disappointed.

Tadase decided to stay, mostly to make sure Utau and Kukai didn't kill the hostess. He didn't necessarily like her (or the fact that it was Ikuto who had gotten his crush), but he was still a good person and needed to make sure his friends stayed out of prison.

Yaya knew that she would be little help to comfort the former Joker, but definitely didn't want to stick around, so she simply guided Kairi back outside so he could take her home.

Amu didn't release her grip on the perverted cat even a little on their trip home, although he wasn't exactly holding her loosely either. Rima and Nagi walked behind them, watching the couple carefully.

"Where are your parents?" Ikuto asked softly when the four former Character Bearers entered the pitch black home.

"They went out to dinner in the next town so they won't be back until tomorrow, and Ami is spending the night with her friend," replied Amu quietly as they approached the staircase. She wanted to run upstairs and rip the troublesome outfit off, but she didn't want to let him go or let him see her so exposed even though she knew he would never do something like that.

Rima sensed this and gently placed a hand on her friend's arm. "Amu," she said gently, dropping her icy persona so the comfort was shown on her features. "Why don't we go get changed upstairs while the boys make dinner? We'll spend the night so you're not alone, okay?"

"I never agreed to make dinner," murmured both boys quietly, careful not to let the pinkette hear. The blonde did hear and shot them a glare as Amu slowly nodded, reluctantly releasing her boyfriend as she let her best friend lead her to her room while the boys grudgingly walked to the kitchen. They agreed to make simple ramen since there was little in the kitchen to serve four young adults.

"She really missed you, you know," remarked Nagi quietly as he boiled the water, his top hat and other carnival accessories abandoned. "She looked and acted perfectly fine, but would turn into a mess whenever you were mentioned." He glanced at the older male, who was cutting the noodles.

"I know what you're thinking, and don't worry," replied Ikuto, not looking up at the former Jack. His voice was soft and filled with emotion, which caught the dancer by surprise. "I don't plan on leaving her ever again. I'd rather die than see her so scared like she was tonight. You don't know how badly I wanted to kill that girl or the bastard who was on top of her."

"I highly doubt either of the girls would have that much restraint," said the purple haired male as he dumped the noodles in the pot, watching it simmer. "I won't be surprised if Saaya suddenly transfers schools. Ever since elementary school, she's been competing with Amu for the title of being the popular girl at school."

"Did Amu even know she was competing?" Ikuto asked, raising an eyebrow. The younger male chuckled.

"Even though she's grown up and not quite the same girl she was back then, she still has her oblivious moments," he replied. "So no, she didn't know…and she probably doesn't know. She can be a bit dense, after all."

"That's putting it lightly," remarked Rima as she and Amu appeared, wearing flannel pajamas. "Anyways, Utau just texted me and gave me about five paragraphs about how she regrets nothing and not to worry; she hasn't been arrested."

"Did Kukai?" Nagi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like he would stick around to be caught, especially if she didn't," snorted his girlfriend. He couldn't help but smile at that; he really liked that phrase. "Oy, what are you smiling about, creeper?"

"Nothing, just thinking of how cute you looked tonight," replied the former Jack, earning a blush from her and a giggle from Amu while the violinist smirked.

"I like him," said Ikuto as he held the small pink haired girl in his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head. "He's like a nicer version of me."

"You'd be surprised," replied Amu, thinking of how Nagi had become a dark person when Kukai teased him about wearing a skirt. Rima smirked and her boyfriend merely shook his head while Ikuto raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to know, trust me."

"Alright," said the twenty-one year old cautiously. "Why don't we watch a movie?"

"Ew, like a date?" Rima scrunched up her nose. "Not if he's here." She pointed at Nagihiko, who raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah, because you guys weren't totally holding hands earlier and forming sexual tension for the last six years," remarked Amu dryly as she led her boyfriend to the couch, still holding his hand. She popped in a disc and turned on the TV, ignoring her friends' sputtering. Ikuto chuckled as he sat on the couch, pulling her close so that she was sitting on his lap.

"It seems like I've been a bad influence on you," he remarked as the other couple took the loveseat, only for Nagi to get up and tend to the ramen. "I haven't seen you smirk like that before."

"You clearly haven't been around her Cool n' Spicy façade long enough," snorted Rima, thinking of Amu had silently defended her against those idiotic boys back in elementary school. "And really, Amu? _Aladdin_? Isn't that a bit childish?"

"What's your point?" The pinkette shot back. "I love this movie!" She turned around so she could look at Nagi in the kitchen, who was pouring the ramen into four bowls. "Can you please make popcorn for us, Nagi?" She knew he was powerless against her natural charm, but added in her 'sparkle attack' (as Kukai liked to call it) anyways. He glanced at her and made a pained expression, knowing he couldn't resist that face, and simply nodded. She grinned and turned back around, ignoring Rima and Ikuto's amused expressions.

"You really are something, kitten," remarked Ikuto. His girlfriend rolled her eyes as she scooted off his lap so that they could properly eat the ramen Nagi handed them before he walked over and joined his own girlfriend on the loveseat so they could watch the movie in peace.

Nobody felt like going home, or leaving the pinkette alone in her empty house, so they decided to camp out in the living room. Amu let the guys borrow some of her dad's old clothes to sleep in and brought out several blankets and pillows to snuggle in.

Rima fell asleep halfway through the movie, sprawled out over Nagi who had been lying down on the loveseat. He didn't seem to mind and quickly followed after her, holding her close as he also drifted to sleep.

Ikuto and Amu were lying on the couch as well, a blanket over them as they watched the credits roll over the screen. He had one arm behind his head casually while the other rested on her lower back. Amu reached down to the ground, where she had dropped the remote, and turned the TV off so that they were in the darkness.

"Ikuto," she said softly, careful not to wake her friends. He made a noise to acknowledge her. "I missed you…please don't leave me again." It was probably one of the few selfish things she ever asked of people, always giving but never receiving.

The violinist smiled warmly at her, kissing her temple as she fluttered her eyelids, sleep taking over. "Don't worry, Amu, I'll never leave you," he promised before he fell asleep as well, holding the younger girl in his embrace. Even though the party didn't go quite as planned, the end result was still a happily ever after.

Which was why a scarred Saaya looked confused when Amu didn't attack her the next day, rather she thanked her for inviting her to the party.

After all, if she hadn't been invited, she wouldn't have been rescued by her cat in shining armor once more.

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!**

**Jeez, this took me five hours to write. I didn't even plan on writing today since it's Monday and I never feel like doing anything on this day, but inspiration called out to me and I rolled off my couch to crawl to my computer.**

**And yes, I know it's nowhere near Halloween, but like I said, inspiration called out to me! I'll also probably make a Valentine's Day special and a Christmas one...hey, Christmas in July right? Why not?**

**I hope you liked it; sorry if you were offended by the language or the content. **

**Don't hesitate to tell me what you think or if you found any mistakes!**


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